Mining machine



p 1963 A. B. JACKSON ETAL 3,104,751

MINING MACHINE Filed April 29, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet l M 6, W? awe n. 9

Sept. 24, 1963 A. B. JACKSON ETAL MINING MACHINE Filed April 29, 1960 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 24, 1963 A. B. JACKSON ETAL MINING MACHINE sSheets-Shed :s

FilecI April 29. 1960 9 Q a i United States Patent Oflice 3,104,751MINING MACHINE Allton B. Jackson, Nashville, and Earl C. Michael,Hoyleton, 111., assignors to National Mine Service Company, Pittsburgh,Pa., a corporation of West Virginia Filed Apr. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 25,6888 Claims. (Cl. 198-1) This invention relates to mining machines, andwith regard to certain more specific features, to improved supportingmeans therein for hydraulic pump assemblies.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision ofa mining machine of the type having an overhead conveyor boom underwhich is normally located a hydraulic pump assembly, adapted by means ofthe invention conveniently to be reached for cleaning and removal ofstray material and fines which fall upon the assembly; the provision ofapparatus of the class described incorporating a swingab-le bumper forsupporting said pump assembly in such a way that it is not required tobe lifted against gravity during movement required for cleaning; and theprovision of apparatus of this class which is of low cost and ruggedconstruction. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and inpart pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations ofelements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which willbe exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope ofwhich will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible.embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the rear end of a miningmachine in which the invention is used, showing a swingable bumper inclosed position;

FIG. 2 isa fragmentary horizontal section viewed on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing said swingab-le bumper in openposition; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding partsthroughout the several views of the drawings.

The type of mining machine to which the invention is applied isgenerally known, having a bed carried upon endless tracks, the bed atthe front carrying boring equipment which delivers broken material to aconveyor. The conveyor passes from a low point at the front of themachine and over rearward bumper portions to effect rearward delivery ofcoal, mineral or other material to suitable transport equipment.

Referring to the drawings, the pertinent rearward parts of such a miningmachine are illustrated, the frame being shown at numeral 1, mounted onendless tracks, one of which is shown at 3. At 5 is shown the overheadconveyor boom in which conveyor 7 operates to deliver broken materialrearwa-rdly.

Ordinarily, a frame such as 1 has a heavy rigid bumper part extendingtransversely across the back of the machine between side portions suchas shown at 9 and 10. Within such a conventional bumper part isordinarily located its motorized hydraulic pump assembly, being boltedupon the rearward bed of the machine in a position under the boom 5. Asis the case with the usual conveyor, broken material such as coal, finesand the like will sift through and drop upon the pump assembly, fromwhich it is thereafter difficult to remove. This is in View of the (factthat the pump assembly is of intricate external form and inconvenientlylocated in the well formed by the usual immovable bumper of the machine.The

Patented Sept. 24, 1963 fact that the boom 5 closely overlies the wellmakes more difiicult the required cleaning operations. It is to theproblem of simplifying the cleaning out and removal of such undesirablematerial from the motorized pump assembly parts that the presentinvention is addressed.

Referring again to the drawings, the rearward portion of the frame l isformed with a transom 11 provided with a stiffening post 15 and locatedbehind main bed portions 13. On one side of the bed portions 16 arecarried supporting pads 17. This construction leaves certain openings l9through-which some of the material escaping from the conveyor 7 maydrop. It also provides means for supporting an oil tank 21 to one sideof the frame 1.

At numeral 23 is shown a swingable rear bumper of gate form, which bymeans of a pin 25 is vertically pivoted at one end to side portion 9.Its other fireely swingable end is provided with lugs 29 having verticalholes 27. The upper lug 29 is designed to swing to align the upper hole27 above a hole 31 in part 10 while the lower lug 29 locates the lowerhole 27 above a hole 33 in a lug 35 of part 10, so that the bumper 23-may be swung open (FIGS. 3 and 4) and shut (FIGS. 1 and 2). When shut,the holes 27, 31 and 33 are in alignment for reception of a locking pin37.

Mounted on the swingable bumper 23 is the motorized hydraulic pumpassembly 39, which was heretofore fixedly mounted on parts of the bedportions 13. Mounting on the bumper 23 is accomplished by means of aplate 41 extending inward as a shelf from the bumper and on which thebase of motor 43 of the assembly is bolted. This plate is braced asshown at 45. Portions 46'of the plate 41 are adapted when the bumper 23is swung shut to ride upon the supporting pads 17. To facilitate this,the pads are formed with slight rearward slopes for freely receiving thecorner portions 4 6 as they swing into position, and thereaftersupporting them. Thus while the plate 41 acts as a cantilever when thegate 23* is open, it acts as a four-corner supported plate when the gate23 is closed.

The motorized pump assembly carried on the shelf plate 41 is constitutedby a gear box 47 forming a drive between the motor 43 and varioushydraulic pumps such as shown, for example, at 49, 5-1, 53, carried onthe gear box 4 7. Such pumps are supplied with flexible hoses 55 forcirculating hydraulic fluid to and from various devices on the miningmachine which require hydraulic operation.

At numeral 57 is shown a junction box attached to the bumper 23, to oneside of which is attached an electric supply cable 59 and to the otherside of which is attached a flexible electric control cable 61, leadingto appropriate control means in the machine. In order properly tosupport the supply cable 59 on the bumper 23, there is provided an inletborn 63 for the cable. This horn is carried on the upper lug 29 of thebumper 23. Adjacent the lower lug 29' is carried a chain anchor 65 for adrag chain 67 which extends to a clamping block 69 on the supply cable59. The supply lines 55 for the assembly 39 and the cable 61 areflexible and have sufficient slack when in the closed position such asshown in FIGS. 1 and 2 so that they may be drawn out freely when theapparatus is in the open position, such as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Operation is as follows:

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the bumper 23 is shown as being shut and locked bymeans of pin 37. Under these conditions, the assembly 39 is supportedbetween the bumper 23 and the pads 17. In this position of the parts,the flexible hoses 55 are pushed back into position above the bedportions 13. As above made clear, broken fines and material from theconveyor 7 may fall on the assembly 39, some of it falling through theopenings 19. When it is desired to clean the parts, the pin 37 isremoved and the bumper 23 swung back, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Thisbrings the assembly 39 into accessible position by an operator standingat or near a point such 'as X, from which foreign material may beremoved conveniently by suitable cleaning tools such as brushes and thelike, the material freely falling away rather than, as heretofore, beingrequired to be scooped out of a pocket within arrigid bumper. When thebumper 23 isin open position, the hoses 55 become withdrawn from theirlocations over the bed portions 13, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

It will be noted that the amount of slack in the flexible members 55 and61 is minimized by having the mounting shelf 41 located close to thepivot 25, thus minimizing swinging movement of the assembly 39. Also,since the bumper 23 preferably swings horizontally, so does themotorized pump assembly 39, which means that there is no lifting actionapplied against the gravitational Weight of this assembly when it isswung. This weight is substantial, since the motor 43 may be on theorder of 50 hp. capacity or so and the bumper gate 23 must be heavilyconstructed for ruggedness. Thus the force required for opening thebumper 23 is only that needed to overcome friction at the pivot 25 andforces needed to bend and snake the flexible hoses 55 and cable 61.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of theinvention are achieved and other advan tageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

We claim:

1. In a mining machine having a motorized pump assembly; the improvementcomprising a main frame with rearward frame portions transversely spacedfrom one another to provide a rear opening between them,a swingablebumper gate pivoted to the frame on one side of the opening and having afreely swingable end for opening and closing movements of said gate withrespect to said opening, means adapted to lock the gate in closedposition, and shelf-like means projecting from the inside of said bumpergate adapted to support the motorized pump assembly forsvvingingmovement into said opening when the gate is swung in itsclosing movement.

2. In a mining machine having a main frame bed and an overhead conveyorboom extending from the rear end of the bed, a motorized pump assemblybelow said boom; the improvement comprising rear sidevvard upright frameportions on the bed transversely spaced from one another to provide arear opening between them, a horizontally swirl-gable bumper gatepivoted to one sideW-ard portion and adapted to open and close saidopening, means {adapted to lock the swingable end of the gate to theother sideward portion of the opening, and supporting means extendingfrom the inside of said bumper gate into the bed adapted to support themotorized pump assembly for withdrawal through said opening when thegate is swung t open.

3. A mining machine according to claim 2, including supporting means onsaid bed spaced inwardly from its 7 zontally freely swingable endengageable with the other I side of the opening, means adapted to locksaid gateya motorized pump assembly, a cantilever bracket extending fromthe inside of the gate adjacent its pivoted end adapted to support saidmotorized pump assembly for movement through said opening.

6. A mining machine according to'claim 5, wherein said rear end portionspaced inwardly from the opening includes supporting means adapted to beengaged by said cantilever bracket for support thereof when said gate isclosed.

7. A mining machine having a rear end portion provided with a transverseopening, a horizontally swingable bumper gate pivoted at one end'to oneside of the opening and having a freely swingable end, means adapted tolock said swingable end to the opposite side of the opening, a motorizedpump assembly, a bracket extending from the inside of the gate adjacentits pivoted end adapted to support said motorized pump assembly formovement through said opening adjacent said pivoted end, said rear endportion including supporting means spaced a substantial distance fromsaid opening and adapted to be engaged by the extended part of saidbracket for support when said gate is closed, and flexible hydrauliclines and flexible control cable means extending from said assembly intothe mining machine at the swinging end of the bumper gate of suflicientslack to accommodate opening gate movement.

8. In a mining machine, a main frame with rear portions spaced aparttransversely of the frame and providing a rear opening between them, abumper gate pivoted to the firame at one side of said opening and havinga freely swinging end toropening and closing movements of said gate withrespect to said opening, means for locking the gate in closed position,a shelf-like structure projecting from the inside of said gate, and amotorized pump assembly mounted on said shelf-like structure and movabletherewith through said opening when the gate is swung away from andtoward the frame rear portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FranceFeb. 27, 1957

1. IN A MINING MACHINE HAVING A MOTORIZED PUMP ASSEMBLY; THE IMPROVEMENTCOMPRISING A MAIN FRAME WITH REARWARD FRAME PORTIONS TRANSVERSELY SPACEDFROM ONE ANOTHER TO PROVIDE A REAR OPENING BETWEEN THEM, A SWINGABLEBUMPER GATE PIVOTED TO THE FRAME ON ONE SIDE OF THE OPENING AND HAVING AFREELY SWINGABLE END FOR OPENING AND CLOSING MOVEMENTS OF SAID GATE WITHRESPECT TO SAID OPENING, MEANS ADAPTED TO LOCK THE GATE IN CLOSEDPOSITION, AND SHELF-LIKE MEANS PROJECTING FROM THE INSIDE OF SAID BUMPERGATE ADAPTED TO SUPPORT THE MOTORIZED PUMP ASSEMBLY FOR SWINGINGMOVEMENT INTO SAID OPENING WHEN THE GATE IS SWUNG IN ITS CLOSINGMOVEMENT.